Posts Tagged ‘Western Big 6 Conference’
Maroons sweep Blue Devils in WB6 twinbill to stay atop league standings
QUINCY — The Quincy High School baseball team dropped both ends of a Western Big 6 Conference doubleheader Saturday against league front-runner Moline at QU Stadium. The Maroons won the opener 5-3 despite getting outhit by the Blue Devils, while the nightcap turned into a rout as Moline won 14-1. In the first game, Quincy…
Read MoreStorm warning: Budde’s first start ends in victory as Blue Devils make stellar defensive plays
QUINCY — A sun-splashed afternoon was a surprising setting for an unexpected Storm. Not even the Quincy High School softball player at the center of it saw it coming. When she arrived at the QHS field in advance of a Western Big 6 Conference matchup with Rock Island Alleman, junior Storm Budde learned she was…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS softball team earns WB6 victory over Alleman
QUINCY — The Quincy High School softball team found a way to manufacture a single run in four consecutive innings and junior right-hander Storm Budde made certain that was enough to secure a 4-2 victory over Rock Island Alleman on Tuesday in Western Big 6 Conference play at the QHS field. Muddy River Sports Editor…
Read MoreWalking away a winner: Ritter’s single caps rally as Blue Devils split twinbill with Silver Streaks
QUINCY — Mason Ritter’s water bottle shower was well earned. With two outs, the bases loaded and the score tied in the bottom of the seventh inning in the nightcap of Saturday’s western Big 6 Conference doubleheader, the Quincy High School baseball team’s sophomore catcher fouled off back-to-back pitches deep in the count to keep…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Blue Devils earn split with Silver Streaks in WB6 doubleheader
QUINCY — Stellar pitching performances, solid approaches at the plate and a seventh-inning rally enabled the Quincy High School baseball team to earn a Western Big 6 Conference doubleheader split with Galesburg on Saturday at the QHS field. The Silver Streaks won the opener 4-0, while the Blue Devils rallied for a 5-4 victory in…
Read MoreBlue Devils come home from bitterly cold road trip with another conference victory
MOLINE, Ill. — Playing in less-than-ideal conditions is something the Quincy High School girls soccer team has had to embrace. “We have to take the attitude that nothing bothers us,” Blue Devils coach Travis Dinkheller said. “We’re going to be tougher and we’re going to play harder than our opponent.” Once they got their feet…
Read MoreBlue Devils’ Longcor is named WB6 MVP, Thomas joins him on all-conference first team
QUINCY — Bradley Longcor III’s performance in the final two games of the Western Big 6 Conference boys basketball title chase elevated Quincy High School to its 25th league crown and pushed the junior guard to the forefront as the league’s top player. Thursday, the WB6 coaches confirmed that. Longcor was named the conference MVP…
Read More‘I think it came down to toughness’: Blue Devils’ strong second half carries them to WB6 crown
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Nobody can say Quincy High School didn’t earn the 2023-24 Western Big 6 Conference boys basketball championship. The state’s Class 4A fifth-ranked Blue Devils beat Rock Island for the second time in three days on Thursday evening, using a similar script to Tuesday’s home victory. Getting enough offense at the right…
Read MoreBlue Devils clamp down on high-scoring Rocks, force winner-take-all WB6 championship game on Thursday
QUINCY — To take advantage of the switching man-to-man defense used by the Quincy High School boys basketball team, Rock Island tried to isolate K.J. Lamonte, its top scorer, on Keshaun Thomas, the Blue Devils’ 6-foot-5 junior forward. Every time Lamonte tried to slash to the basket in the first half, Thomas forced him to…
Read MoreMarooned in Moline: Blue Devils fall out of first place in WB6 with loss at Wharton Field House
MOLINE, Ill. — How a game of such magnitude elicited such minimal energy from his players left Quincy High School boys basketball coach Andy Douglas as dumbfounded as it did irritated. “There was just a different look on their face than we’ve seen out of the group,” he said. It wasn’t a good look. Facing…
Read MoreVictory enables QHS girls to finish regular season with one of best records in program history
MOLINE, Ill. — The Quincy High School girls basketball team put a cap on one of the best regular seasons in program history. The Blue Devils limited Moline to 10 first-half points Thursday night and rolled to a 56-33 victory in Western Big 6 Conference play at Wharton Field House. Coupled with Rock Island Alleman’s…
Read MoreBlue Devils’ chase of WB6 crown comes down to three-game gauntlet after dispatching Pioneers
QUINCY — A slight rewrite to the lyrics of Elvis Presley’s “Blue Suede Shoes” might be apropos for the Quincy High School boys basketball team heading into the homestretch of the Western Big 6 Conference season. “Well, it’s one for the chance, two for the show, Three for the glory, now go, Devils, go.“ Tuesday…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: QHS stays perfect at Blue Devil Gym with victory over Alleman
QUINCY — A perfect season at home is one victory away. The Quincy High School boys basketball team improved to 12-0 at Blue Devil Gym this season with Tuesday night’s 78-33 victory over Rock Island Alleman in Western Big 6 Conference play. MRN Editor David Adam captured some of the action.
Read MoreBlue Devils create energy level necessary to maintain momentum against Silver Streaks
QUINCY — Challenge accepted and met. Coming off Saturday’s high-octane, high-profile victory over Imhotep Charter of Philadelphia in the marquee game of the Quincy Shootout, the Quincy High School boys basketball team was tasked with rekindling that energy Tuesday to face Galesburg, which it beat by 52 points in early December. “Our pregame speech tonight…
Read MoreBe prepared: Blue Devils’ approach allows them to blow away Maple Leafs for WB6 victory
QUINCY — The schedule listed Friday night’s opponent as Geneseo. It may as well have read Homewood-Flossmoor, Bolingbrook or any other state-ranked team the Quincy High School boys basketball team could conceivably face. “Your preparation is for the best teams on your schedule, and that doesn’t change when you’re not playing the best teams on…
Read MoreFreshmen provide spark as QHS girls roll to another WB6 road victory
GENESEO, Ill. — No Taylor Fohey, no problem. With Fohey, the senior forward, nursing an ankle injury suffered in practice, the Quincy High School girls basketball team relied on its other twin tower to set the stage for a 63-28 Western Big 6 Conference victory over Geneseo on Thursday night. Freshman forward Jada Brown scored…
Read MoreUnrelenting defensive effort carries QHS girls basketball team to WB6 victory over Rocky
QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls basketball team put a disappointing loss behind it. Another dynamic defensive effort helped do that. Rock Island made just one field goal in the first quarter of Thursday night’s Western Big 6 Conference game at the QHS gym, trailed by as many as 14 points early and couldn’t…
Read MoreBlue Devils handle first leg of weekend road trip with swift offensive execution
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The Quincy High School boys basketball team didn’t want to linger at Don Morris Gym any longer than necessary. An opportunistic offense made sure the exit was swift. Quincy opened Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference matchup against Rock Island Alleman on a 22-4 run, led by 33 points at halftime…
Read MoreLocking down defensively allows Blue Devils to kickstart 2024 with WB6 victory
QUINCY — Taylor Fohey’s reaction spoke volumes. “Really?” she said with wide eyes and an I-didn’t-know-that expression when told the Quincy High School girls basketball team didn’t allow Moline to score a field goal in the first quarter of Thursday night’s Western Big 6 Conference game. “Honestly, I don’t think too much about what we’re…
Read MoreState-ranked Blue Devils able to enjoy long road home following another WB6 victory
EAST MOLINE, Ill. — The American actors’ union strike that delayed the production of television shows and movies is making it increasingly more difficult for Quincy High School boys basketball coach Andy Douglas to find new films for entertainment on long bus rides. “At least I can sleep on the bus pretty much anytime,” Douglas…
Read MoreBlue Devils capitalize on Austin’s absence by overpowering Golden Warriors for WB6 victory
QUINCY — The gameplan didn’t change, even if the opposing lineup did. The Sterling boys basketball team arrived at Blue Devil Gym for Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference clash without 6-foot-7, 265-pound senior forward Lucas Austin, an all-state offensive tackle who is taking an official football recruiting visit this weekend to West Virginia. “I…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Blue Devils improve to 3-0 in WB6 by outrunning Golden Warriors
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys basketball team is always in attack mode. Leading by 10 points at halftime of Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference matchup with Sterling, the Blue Devils were relentless in the second half and ran away with a 66-41 victory at Blue Devil Gym. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt…
Read MoreSilver Streaks’ perimeter game leads to critical WB6 victory over Blue Devils
GALESBURG, Ill. — It didn’t matter what defense the Quincy High School girls basketball team employed. Galesburg found a way to beat it. The Silver Streaks were able to get into gaps and knock down perimeter jumpers, burying nine 3-pointers while securing the top spot in the Western Big 6 Conference with a 55-41 victory…
Read MoreBlue Devils focus on task at hand, pummel Silver Streaks for another WB6 road victory
GALESBURG, Ill. — Remaining ever-present can be a challenge when you know what lies ahead. The Quincy High School boys basketball players are meeting that challenge head on. Fully aware a pivotal Western Big 6 Conference showdown looms Friday night against Sterling at Blue Devil Gym, the Blue Devils didn’t overlook having to take care…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Blue Devils power past Silver Streaks with crisp, clean effort
GALESBURG, Ill. — Andy Douglas couldn’t find fault with the Quincy High School boys basketball’s effort, focus or finish. The coach liked pretty much everything about Tuesday night’s 86-34 victory over Galesburg at John Thiel Gym. Freelance photographer Steve Davis was courtside at Thiel Gym and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreBlue Devils’ defensive dominance continues in another WB6 whitewashing
QUINCY — There is no quantitative goal the Quincy High School girls basketball players set for what they hope to accomplish defensively each game. However, there is an emotional response they look to achieve. “I guess the goal would be to kind of embarrass the opponent in a sense,” senior point guard Leila Dade said.…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS girls basketball team overwhelms another WB6 foe with defense
QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls basketball team limited Sterling to five points in the first quarter and 11 overall in the first half, rolling to a 21-point lead by halftime and cruising to a 52-29 victory in Western Big 6 Conference action Saturday at the QHS gym. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman…
Read MoreDefensive-minded Blue Devils rake up WB6 victory by blowing past Maple Leafs
GENESEO, Ill. — The last thing Andy Douglas wanted to see was the Quincy High School boys basketball players begin developing bad habits. To the Blue Devils’ credit, they avoided that trap. Able to disrupt defensively everything Geneseo tried to do, the Blue Devils closed the first half on a 16-0 run and led by…
Read MoreWB6 coaches select QHS quarterback as MVP, nine Blue Devils make first-team all-conference
QUINCY — Bradyn Little’s success quarterbacking the Quincy High School football team is more than just a passing fancy. It’s a full orchestra of talent. The junior quarterback led the Blue Devils to a 6-0 record in the Western Big 6 Conference and a 9-0 overall regular-season mark, earning first-team all-conference honors and league MVP.…
Read MoreSchuckman: WB6 showcase event would help league deal with potential scheduling void
QUINCY — Quincy High School football coach Rick Little’s biggest chore and most constant worry isn’t prepping the Blue Devils for the playoffs. It’s filling a potential open week on the 2024 schedule. Last January, Rock Island Alleman informed Western Big 6 Conference principals and officials it would not field a varsity football team during…
Read MoreCrowning glory: Blue Devils cap undefeated run through WB6 with league championship
QUINCY — The crown fits perfectly. Favored to win the Western Big 6 Conference championship and never shying away from those expectations, the Quincy High School football players finished off an undefeated run to a league title Friday night, beating Geneseo 35-7 at Flinn Stadium. It is the Blue Devils’ first WB6 championship since 2016,…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS football team’s defense shuts down Geneseo in WB6 matchup
QUINCY — The defense didn’t allow a point, and the offense continued to overwhelm an opponent. That’s the right recipe for success for the Quincy High School football team. The Blue Devils finished off their undefeated run to the Western Big 6 Conference championship Friday night by beating Geneseo 35-7 at Flinn Stadium. The Maple…
Read MoreSplish, splash: Little avoids full bath of ice water, but Blue Devils improvise to celebrate WB6 title
QUINCY — The Quincy High School football players proved they can be resourceful. Late in the fourth quarter Friday night at Flinn Stadium and the starters on the sidelines with a 35-7 lead over Geneseo, a plan was hatched to dump a cooler of water on Blue Devils coach Rick Little at game’s end to…
Read MoreYo, Adrian: Sommers’ goal, stronger second-half play helps Blue Devils win home finale
QUINCY — At every turn Tuesday night, the Quincy High School boys soccer players caught a glimpse of the program’s storied past. From Dev Reeves, arguably the most significant player in program history, to Donivan Bradshaw, one of the Blue Devils’ greatest scorers, to Jay Ray and his son, J.D., the first father-son combo to…
Read MoreQHS’s Reddy wins WB6 singles championship, Hayes twins take second in doubles
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The Quincy High School girls tennis team gave the rest of the teams in the Class 2A Belleville West Sectional something to be leery about. That’s top-flight competitors coming into the postseason event riding high. QHS sophomore Anika Reddy knocked off the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds as she won the…
Read MoreBlue Devils outlast Golden Warriors to remain undefeated, improve to 7-0 for first time since 1935
STERLING, Ill. — Inevitably, it happens. A clunker. A stinker. A misstep. Being able to endure one of those and still find a way to succeed separates good teams from championship teams. Friday night, the state-ranked Quincy High School football team found a way to navigate past its mistakes and beat Sterling 35-33 in a…
Read MoreHave mercy: Blue Devils bury Silver Streaks with first-half onslaught, Little throws seven TD passes
QUINCY — The halftime instructions were simple and succinct. Don’t be lollygaggers. Having built a 56-5 lead over Galesburg by intermission Friday night, the Quincy High School football team’s starters were told they wouldn’t be taking a snap in the second half. Although this was the fourth time in six games the Blue Devils have…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS football team improves to 6-0 with homecoming whalloping of Galesburg
QUINCY — The Quincy High School football team piled up 56 points in the first half Friday night and rolled to a 56-19 victory over Galesburg in Western Big 6 Conference play at Flinn Stadium. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the evening at Flinn Stadium and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreBlue Devils capitalize on tide-turning moments, beat Panthers yet again with offensive onslaught
EAST MOLINE, Ill. — Three plays changed everything for the Quincy High School football team. Sure the final score ended up 63-27 with the final 14 minutes played with a running clock, but the Blue Devils needed the tide-turning moments to shoot down United Township in Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference matchup at the…
Read MoreBlue Devils pick right time to make defensive stand, intercept Maroons’ plan for last-minute rally
QUINCY — Rico Clay heeded the warnings the Quincy High School football coaches blared. Moline quarterback Drew Phelps needed a warning not to throw Clay’s way. With the Maroons facing third and 15 from the Blue Devils’ 25-yard line and trailing by seven points with 39.7 seconds remaining in regulation Friday night, Phelps threw a…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS football team improves to 4-0 with WB6 victory against Moline
QUINCY — The Quincy High School football team is 4-0 for the first time since 2007 after holding off Moline 34-27 for a Western Big 6 Conference victory Friday night at Flinn Stadium. Muddy River Sports editor Matt Schuckman spent the evening at the venerable facility and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreBlue Devils turn tide with flourish at end of first set, roll from there in WB6 victory over Pioneers
QUINCY — Madison Loos could sense it. So could Ayanna Douglas. Loos could feel a momentum swing coming together late in the first set Thursday evening. That’s when the emotional ebb and flow of that opening round began trending toward the Quincy High School volleyball team. Eventually, that ebb and flow morphed into a bona…
Read MoreBlue Devils suffer third straight loss, fall to Maroons in key WB6 matchup
QUINCY — So often in the wake of a loss, it becomes easy to play a game of “what if.” For example, what if Josh Stupavsky’s shot 36 seconds into Tuesday night’s Western Big 6 Conference boys soccer game had hit the inside of the left post and kicked into the goal? Instead, it hit…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS soccer team battles Moline for top spot in Western Big 6
QUINCY — Three games into the Western Big 6 Conference season, the Quincy High School boys soccer team finds itself needing a little help to retain the conference crown. The Blue Devils suffered a 2-1 loss to Moline on Tuesday night at Flinn Stadium, leaving the Maroons and United Township tied for the WB6 lead…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS football team opens WB6 play by crushing Rock Island
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The Quincy High School football team set the appropriate tone for its pursuit of a Western Big 6 Conference championship, opening league play last Friday night with a 41-7 victory over Rock Island at Almquist Field. Bridgett Zanger put together this photo gallery from the Blue Devils’ victory and shared it…
Read MoreRock and roll: Blue Devils invoke running clock with overwhelming effort at Rocky in WB6 opener
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — A good high school football team is usually driven by a handful of standouts. When you have a bushel of stars, great things come. Quincy High School is one of those kinds of teams. It is hard to find a place where there is a hole on this Quincy team and…
Read MoreOne thing leads to another: Douglas takes charge, guides Blue Devils to WB6 victory
QUINCY — Quincy High School volleyball coach Kate Brown had just watched her team get hit with a haymaker at the onset of Thursday’s Western Big 6 Conference match against Geneseo. “I wondered what was going on,” Brown admitted. With her club down 10-0, Brown turned to Ayanna Douglas and informed the junior hitter, “You’ve…
Read MoreVictory in WB6 opener is progress Blue Devils want to see, but they know more is needed
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys soccer team is playing a game of progression. The rules are quite simple. Improve with every practice. “When you practice, you get a little better each time,” senior defender Nolan Dede said. By doing that, the Blue Devils believe they will hoist a trophy or plaque — maybe…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Two first-half goals carry QHS boys soccer team to victory in home opener
QUINCY — First-half goals by Evan Sohn and Trace Routh less than five minutes apart in the first half Tuesday night allowed the Quincy High School boys soccer team to earn a 2-1 victory over Rock Island Alleman in the home opener at Flinn Stadium. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Sschuckman put together this photo…
Read MoreBlue Devils to find themselves front and center in WB6 football title talks
QUINCY — Rick Little better pack a zinger or two in his back pocket. A few are bound to be thrown his way. The Quincy High School football coach will join the other seven Western Big 6 Conference coaches as guest speakers at the WB6 Coaches Kickoff banquet, taking place next Wednesday at the Quad…
Read MoreBlue Devils avoid trap game, finish WB6 slate with nine-goal outburst against Rocks
QUINCY — Travis Dinkheller sensed it. The Quincy High School girls soccer team was walking into a trap. After playing three games last weekend in the Tournament of Champions in Bettendorf, Iowa, and with the second crosstown showdown against Quincy Notre Dame looming Thursday, the Blue Devils had to finish their Western Big 6 Conference…
Read MoreHammers time: QHS sophomore hits walk-off grand slam, drives in nine runs in WB6 sweep
QUINCY — Trailing by 10 runs heading to the bottom of the third inning Saturday, the Quincy High School baseball team systematically started a comeback. The rally ended in grand fashion. The Blue Devils scored six runs in the third inning, twice more in the sixth and two more times in the seventh to send…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS baseball team scores 30 runs in sweeping Sterling in WB6 doubleheader
QUINCY — The Quincy High School baseball team ended the first half of Saturday’s Western Big 6 Conference doubleheader with Sterling in four innings. The Blue Devils made up for it in the nightcap, needing nine innings to walk off with a 14-10 victory and the sweep. Photographer Samantha Carmean captured these images from the…
Read MoreHighs and Lowe: Blue Devils finish week on four-game win streak, climb back to .500 mark
QUINCY — The reality of where the week began made Blake Bunch sigh. “Monday,” he said, “we were four games under .500.” It’s not how the Quincy High School baseball team’s week ended. The Blue Devils went on the road and scored midweek victories at New Berlin and Macomb and finished off a perfect five-day…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS baseball team sweeps WB6 doubleheader from Alleman
QUINCY — An aggressive approach on the base paths and the willingness to be patient at the plate enabled the Quincy High School baseball team to sweep a Western Big 6 Conference doubleheader from Rock Island Alleman on Friday, winning 14-4 and 10-0 at QU Stadium. The Blue Devils have won four consecutive games to…
Read MoreBlue Devils suffer first loss of season as PK is deciding goal in WB6 setback to Leafs
GENESEO, Ill. — The depth the Quincy High School girls soccer worked to build during some of its early-season lopsided victories is going to be put to the test against some of the most stiff competition the Blue Devils will face. The Blue Devils likely will go into Thursday’s game at Chatham Glenwood without three…
Read MoreMaroons continue WB6 diamond dominance, beat Blue Devils to remain unbeaten in league play
QUINCY — Craig Schimmel is no physician, but his diagnosis was spot on. “We had about a five-minute stretch that was uncharacteristic for us,” the Moline baseball coach said. “We looked like we were brain dead out there.” Yes, the bottom of the third inning proved to be a bit testy for the Maroons, but…
Read MoreLopsided WB6 victory helps prep Blue Devils for upcoming gauntlet of tough tests
QUINCY — The lopsided nature of Monday’s Western Big 6 Conference game suggested there wasn’t much for the Quincy High School girls soccer team to gain from its effort. Reality proved otherwise. The 12-0 victory over Sterling at Flinn Stadium kept the Blue Devils undefeated through eight games, a significant fact when it comes time…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS girls soccer team steamrolls Sterling in WB6 play to remain undefeated
QUINCY — Bri Lannerd racked up five goals. Ava Soltwedel and Maddie O’Brien, a pair of defensive stalwarts, scored their first career goals. And the Quincy High School girls soccer team rolled to a 12-0 victory Sterling in Western Big 6 Conference action Monday night at Flinn Stadium. The Blue Devils are 6-0-2 overall and…
Read MoreBlue Devils navigate two-hour weather delay before finishing off victory over Silver Streaks
GALESBURG, Ill. — The path of Tuesday’s severe storms that led to funnel clouds being spotted in McDonough and Fulton Counties not only forced the Quincy High School girls soccer off the field, but it kept the Blue Devils grounded in place. “The storm was south of us and they weren’t going to make us…
Read MoreCompetitive play in WB6 loss shows progress QHS softball team is making
QUINCY — From Darrell Henze’s perspective, the glass remains half full. Sure, the Quincy High softball coach watched his club drop a 15-6 Western Big 6 Conference game on a breezy Thursday afternoon to undefeated Sterling, but Henze was far from despondent. The Blue Devils, now 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the conference, are working…
Read MoreBlue Devils end demanding stretch with one-goal conference victory and earn day of rest
QUINCY — Does having survived playing five games in five days without a loss earn the Quincy High School girls soccer team a day of rest come Wednesday? “Oh, hell yes,” Blue Devils coach Travis Dinkheller said. Quincy finished its physically taxing stretch Tuesday night with a 1-0 victory over United Township in Western Big…
Read MoreControlling possession and pace enables Blue Devils to open season with WB6 victory
QUINCY — Quincy High School girls soccer coach Travis Dinkheller expected his team to be able to control possession and pace of play based on everything he’d seen throughout the preseason. Still, he remained curious how it would look against Western Big 6 Conference opponent. Ten minutes into Tuesday night’s season opener against Moline at…
Read MoreMoline to play for Class 4A state title, looks to give WB6 its third champion since league’s inception
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Moline boys basketball coach Sean Taylor delivered one final message to his team in the locker room Friday night before the Maroons left State Farm Center and headed back to their hotel. “We didn’t come here to get second,” he said. The Maroons earned the chance to make that reality. A sizzling…
Read MoreBlue Devils’ Longcor, Fohey earn first-team All-Western Big 6 Conference honors
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys basketball team’s second-place finish in the Western Big 6 Conference led to three players earning all-conference honors. Meanwhile, the QHS girls placed two players on the All-WB6 squad. Sophomore guard Bradley Longcor III garnered first-team plaudits, while sophomore forward Keshaun Thomas was a second-team selection and junior guard…
Read MoreBlue Devils reach another milestone victory in style by dunking Maple Leafs
QUINCY — A milestone moment needed a signature start and an emphatic finish. Camden Brown and Milton Whitfield delivered on both fronts. Brown’s breakaway dunk 30 seconds into Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference game got the Quincy High School boys basketball team rolling. Then Whitfield provided a steal and flush to punctuate a 66-28…
Read MoreTuning it out, dialing it in: Moline ignores Blue Devil Gym’s fervor, uses defense to silence QHS in battle at top of WB6
QUINCY — Dominique Clay’s fist-pumping reaction to Tyler Sprick’s 3-pointer drove the decibel level inside Blue Devil Gym to arguably its peak Friday night. The Moline boys basketball players simply ignored it. “That’s because we have a bunch of seniors,” Maroons coach Sean Taylor said. Their response screamed of experience. Despite falling behind by as…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Quincy, Moline battle for first in WB6 at Blue Devil Gym
QUINCY — The Western Big 6 Conference championship likely won’t stay in Quincy for another year. The Moline boys basketball team’s 57-46 victory Friday night at Blue Devil Gym means Quincy High School — the reigning WB6 champion — is now two games behind the Maroons in the league standings with three games to play.…
Read MoreWB6 title hopes at stake when Blue Devils, Maroons square off at Blue Devil Gym
QUINCY — Sitting in the bleachers of what at that moment was a relatively empty Blue Devil Gym, Camden Brown gazed around as he envisioned what Friday night’s crowd might be like. “Hopefully it’s sold out,” he said. It should be. The Quincy High School boys basketball team puts its Western Big 6 Conference title…
Read MoreThree of a kind: QHS wrestling team finishes second in WB6 behind three individual champs
QUINCY — Perfection, maturity and optimism. Therein lies what the Quincy High School wrestling program’s three Western Big 6 Conference individual champions put on display Saturday. Owen Uppinghouse stayed perfect, finishing the regular season with a 36-0 record as he won the 160-pound title. Bryor Newbold defeated a returning WB6 champion and reversed a loss…
Read MoreBlue Devils push back after ragged start, earn WB6 road victory
STERLING, Ill. — Finally, the Quincy High School girls basketball players said enough was enough. Following Thursday night’s loss at Galesburg that dropped the Blue Devils a game out of first place in the Western Big 6 Conference standings, they allowed Sterling to open Saturday’s league game at Musgrove Fieldhouse on a 16-4 run. “They…
Read MorePhoto gallery: WB6 wrestling championships take place at QHS gym
QUINCY — The Quincy High School wrestling team finished second in the Western Big 6 Conference, having three grapplers win individual championships and five others place in the top three during Saturday’s WB6 tournament at the QHS gym. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent his afternoon matside and captured the action in this photo…
Read MoreThomas, Blue Devils power way through second half to set up showdown with Maroons
STERLING, Ill. — Saddled to the bench for the duration of the second quarter Friday night, Keshaun Thomas bottled his frustration and was anxious to unleash it. The Sterling boys basketball team felt the brunt of that. Thomas, Quincy High School’s 6-foot-6 sophomore forward, scored 11 of the Blue Devils’ 14 points in the third…
Read MoreBlue Devils keep effort clean, head into matchup with Golden Warriors after dispatching Pioneers
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Andy Douglas didn’t want to take the air out of the ball entirely. The Quincy High School boys basketball coach wasn’t going to play his starters longer than necessary either. The 80-35 victory over Rock Island Alleman on Tuesday night at Don Morris Gym proved to be a study in how…
Read More‘And it was nothing but net’: Mulherin’s first career 3-pointer punctuates Blue Devils’ WB6 victory
QUINCY — Sam Mulherin could say he’s one and done. But why do that? The Quincy High School senior forward relished making a buzzer-beating 3-pointer — the first 3-point attempt of his high school basketball career — so much so he’s ready to put his perfect shooting percentage on the line with another try. “Oh,…
Read MoreOvertime victory moves QHS girls basketball team into logjam atop WB6 standings
QUINCY — When asked if Quincy might just be the team of destiny in this season’s Western Big 6 Conference girls basketball championship pursuit, Taylor Fohey thought long and hard before answering. Then she smiled. “I feel it coming,” said the 6-foot junior who dropped through the game-winning basket in the Blue Devils’ 31-29 overtime…
Read MoreRock Island Alleman will not field varsity football team next fall
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Seven of the eight Western Big 6 Conference football programs suddenly have an open date on their schedules for next fall. Wednesday, at a meeting of WB6 principals and athletic directors in Galesburg, Rock Island Alleman informed the rest of the league it will not field a varsity football team in…
Read MoreBlue Devils finish first half of WB6 slate in thick of title chase with chance to repeat as champs
QUINCY — Outside of the obvious scenario — that would be to beat Moline — the Quincy High School boys basketball players know what needs to happen over the second half of the Western Big 6 Conference season for them to repeat as league champions. The Blue Devils must replicate Friday night’s performance. They imposed…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS boys basketball team streaks past Galesburg in WB6 play
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys basketball team continued its quest to repeat as the Western Big 6 Conference champion, finishing the first half of the league season with Friday night’s 76-31 victory over Galesburg at Blue Devil Gym. Check out these images Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured for this photo gallery:
Read MoreDefensive plays in overtime turn tide in QHS’s favor in knocking off state-ranked Geneseo
GENESEO, Ill. — The energy expended defensively finally paid off. Neither the Quincy High School girls basketball team nor Geneseo scored in the first 2 ½ minutes of overtime Wednesday night, but Leah Chevalier’s steal that led to a layin with 1 minute, 24 seconds to play changed everything. The Blue Devils scored on back-to-back…
Read MoreBlue Devils’ bench brigade embraces opportunity for playing time with right approach
GENESEO, Ill. — None of the Quincy High School boys basketball players played more than 13 minutes Tuesday night, nor did they log a single minute of the second half. None of them complained about it either. The starters staked the Blue Devils to an insurmountable lead, exited the game in the second quarter and…
Read MoreFourth-quarter flurry enables Blue Devils to fight way past Rocks for critical WB6 victory
QUINCY — The words rolled from Bradley Longcor III in matter-of-fact fashion. “We’re a good team,” the Quincy High School sophomore said. And more times than not, good teams find ways to win games. Friday night at Blue Devil Gym was a classic case in point. Fueled by a scintillating second half at both ends…
Read MoreSchool of Hard knocks: Maroons guard makes critical plays to hand Blue Devils first loss
MOLINE, Ill. — Not even the most foolhearted Quincy High School boys basketball fan was gullible enough to believe Brock Harding wouldn’t eventually put his stamp on Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference showdown. “We knew he had only two points at halftime,” Quincy junior swingman Camden Brown said. “You know he’s going to score…
Read MoreBlue Devils survive less-than-Sterling effort to remain tied for first in Western Big 6
QUINCY — Andy Douglas let his ears be his guide. “If we can come out the first few possessions and our communication is great, it’s probably going to be a good night defensively,” the Quincy High School boys basketball coach said. “Tonight, it wasn’t. We didn’t talk.” So the fact Sterling opened the second half…
Read MoreBlue Devils’ second-half effort takes shine off Silver Streaks’ undefeated WB6 record
QUINCY — Too many turnovers and too few defensive rebounds made for way too long of a second quarter Thursday night for the Quincy High School girls basketball team. At halftime, the Blue Devils made certain to change that before the outcome was too far gone. Asia Seangmany buried a 3-pointer from the left corner…
Read MoreBlue Devils spread scoring wealth in WB6 victory over Pioneers
QUINCY — Let’s be honest. Brutally honest. The Quincy High School boys basketball team probably could have put 100 points on the scoreboard — and with relative ease — during Tuesday’s Western Big 6 Conference game against overmatched and outmanned Rock Island Alleman at Blue Devil Gym. Instead, state-ranked QHS settled for a 65-28 victory…
Read MoreBlue Devils put depth, length on display to lead WB6 opener from start to finish
EAST MOLINE, Ill. — Sent to the sideline with two fouls in the first quarter of Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference boys basketball opener, Quincy High School sophomore guard Bradley Longcor III tried to talk his way back into the game. “He kept saying, ‘I’m not gonna foul. I’m not gonna foul,’” Quincy coach…
Read MoreQHS girls basketball team uses second-half rally to nearly topple reigning WB6 champion
QUINCY — The second-half rally and fight to the finish the Quincy High School girls basketball team engaged in Tuesday night had two components. “We totally changed our mindset,” Blue Devils senior guard Leah Chevalier said. “And a few people hit shots.” It was nearly enough to topple the reigning Western Big 6 Conference champion.…
Read More‘What if magic happens?’: Senior linebacker’s INT critical to helping QHS football team navigate epic comeback
QUINCY — Down 28-0 to Rock Island on Senior Night at Flinn Stadium, Quincy High School senior linebacker Kory Fletcher tried to keep a good attitude. “I kept thinking, ‘What if magic happens?’ ” Fletcher said. “And magic happened.” The Blue Devils rallied from that first-half deficit to pull out a thrilling 47-42 Western Big…
Read MoreBlue Devils score 51 points in first quarter, rout Pioneers to guarantee themselves playoff berth
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Quincy High School football coach Rick Little wants to see the Blue Devils play with an edge — no matter the opponent. If not, he knows it can prove costly. That will be a point of emphasis this week in preparation for the regular-season finale at home against Rock Island following…
Read MoreHayes sisters win doubles title as QHS girls tennis team shares WB6 championship with Moline
QUINCY — Lily and Phoebe Hayes lived up to the expectations. Anika Reddy and Mary Dodd exceeded them. Both of those things have been happening throughout the girls tennis season. The Hayes sisters, who were the No. 1-seeded doubles team for the Western Big 6 Conference tournament, rallied after losing the first set of the…
Read MoreBlue Devils exploit Maple Leafs’ pass defense, become playoff eligible with WB6 victory
GENESEO, Ill. — Film study doesn’t lie. In preparation for Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference matchup, the Quincy High School football coaching staff noticed a way to attack the Geneseo defense with its passing game if the Maple Leafs ran the same schemes. “We’re at that point of the season where we wonder how…
Read MoreBlue Devils lock down defensively in second half, secure piece of another WB6 championship
GENESEO — The Quincy High School boys soccer team controlled its fate. Geneseo could do nothing in the second half of Tuesday night’s Western Big 6 Conference matchup to change that. The Blue Devils clamped down defensively over the final 40 minutes, holding the Maple Leafs without a shot and using Josh Stupavsky’s goal in…
Read MoreOvertime loss stings as QHS football players realize how oh-so-close to victory they were
QUINCY — As Bradyn Little’s pass barely sailed over Jack Mettemeyer’s outstretched arm and fell to the turf Friday night, Kael Ryan and his Sterling teammates could finally exhale. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt better in my life,” said Ryan, Sterling’s do-it-all senior, moments after the Golden Warriors’ 34-28 overtime victory Friday night at…
Read MoreBrown’s header off Brockmiller’s corner jumpstarts QHS soccer team’s offensive outburst
QUINCY — The moment he said it, Boen Brockmiller sensed his critique of his own corner kick sounded braggadocious. So he smiled and paused. When he continued, Brockmiller’s genuine joy for how the play turned out showed. “I know I’m biased,” said the senior forward on the Quincy High School boys soccer team. “But it…
Read MoreQHS football team capitalizes on Galesburg’s miscues to inch closer to playoff contention
GALESBURG, Ill. — The Quincy High School football team took advantage of Galesburg’s mistakes Friday night. It resulted in a 42-14 victory in Western Big 6 Conference action at Van Dyke Field. “It’s a good victory and another lap in our marathon,” Quincy coach Rick Little said. The Blue Devils (4-1, 2-1 WB6) headed into…
Read MoreHigh five: Venvertloh breaks QHS boys soccer team’s single-game scoring record in WB6 victory
GALESBURG, Ill. — The right approach offensively is something the Quincy High School boys soccer players have tried to perfect. Tuesday night, the Blue Devils dialed it as well as they have all season. “The team was very calm on the ball tonight to begin the game, very organized and kept the ball in the…
Read MoreTwo QHS golfers earn all-conference as Blue Devils finish fourth in WB6 championships
GALESBURG, Ill. — If the individual leaderboard is any indication of where the Quincy High School boys golf team is headed, it will be back toward the top of the Western Big 6 Conference heap in the coming years. A pair of Blue Devils finished in the top 12, earning second-team all-conference in process, as…
Read MoreSeventh heaven: QHS girls golf team wins its seventh straight WB6 championship
KEWANEE, Ill. — Sunday’s practice round at Midland Golf Club gave the Quincy High School girls team a blueprint for how to manage the course. “They really concentrated and took good notes,” Blue Devils coach HanLynn Vahlkamp said. Every notation led to something significant. Four QHS golfers finished in the top six individually as the…
Read MoreGive a Little, get a Little: QHS quarterback breaks two single-game records in WB6 rout of UT
QUINCY — Quincy High School football coach Rick Little has seen his son Bradyn, the Blue Devils’ sophomore quarterback, get on a roll before. “Once he gets hot, he can be dangerous … it’s more than just the throws, but the reads,” Rick Little said. “The average fan is like, ‘He threw a ball and…
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